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December 30, 2014

Here I am at the end of the year pondering the importance of the work that MomsRising does. And pondering how this organization has changed me in so many ways. I am inspired daily by my colleagues and the work that we do. I never realized how fulfilling this work could be. Never understood the importance of my voice in advocacy work. As we prepare to say goodbye to 2014, I hope that you would consider making a year-end donation to the cause. Can you give $2.01 or $20.14? How about $201.40? Do......

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December 02, 2014

It’s the beginning of the holiday season! Not because it’s December but because today is Giving Tuesday! After you stuff yourself happy with yummy food in the company of loved ones, you battle the crowds to get the best deals before the holidays then you sit at your computer and nab all those great discounts online. What then? What’s left? For me, it’s the true spirit of the season. Giving. I love to give. Big, small, time, money, heartfelt things. The thing about giving for me is knowing that I am making......

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November 11, 2014

I’ve never been hungry. My parents were working folks that sometimes scraped by. But we were never hungry. It’s because of Papi. He’d experience hunger as a child and so our house sometimes had an abundance of food. The man pisses me off regularly with his cooking portions. But, there was always enough food to feed one or two extra mouths. And feed them he did. One day he sat down and with tears in his eyes told us how he finds it impossible to even hear about anyone being hungry because......

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September 30, 2014

Are you working on your Fall calendar? I am! Because I really hate missing out on things and as the fall season kicks off, there’s a pretty good amount of awesome happening in Central Florida. Clermont? Yes! Clermont, folks. It’s where it’s at. At least when it comes to free family events. I didn’t stutter folks. F.R.E.E. The event offers free admission to all attendees, free parking to the general public, free entertainment with kidzone, free games and inflatables, live musical acts and entertainers, food vendors, hundreds of exhibitors and more. This is......

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September 24, 2014

Disclosure: this is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Allstate FoundationÂ® and Latina Bloggers Connect. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have a hard time writing about this topic. I can’t find the thread of words that would allow me to write clearly and specifically. I have perused the commentary on the hashtag #WhyIStayed. They tell a heartbreaking story and show us courage and what it takes to be a survivor. Partly because I am empathetic to women in need and precarious situations. And partly because I have been in an......

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August 01, 2014

Remember The Year of Three? Well, forget that! We have moved on to bigger and better ages. And with a new year comes a new Blogust! During Shot@Lifeâ€™s Blogust 2014 â€” a month-long blog relay â€” some of North Americaâ€™s most beloved online writers, photo and video bloggers and Shot@Life Champions will come together and share stories about Happy and Healthy Firsts. Every time you comment on this post and other Blogust contributions, or share them via social media on this website, Shot@Life and the United Nations Foundation pages, Walgreens will donate one vaccine (up to 60,000). Blogust......

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April 21, 2014

I love hats, y’all. But, ask me when was the last time I wore one. I think my cruise to the Bahamas in 2008 might’ve been the last time I wore a couple and felt comfortable doing it. I think hats lend themselves to a certain hot-damn-ness as an accessory. Amirite? I always feel extra classy and my Mami Swagger meter goes off the chart. So when my graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha decided that we were going to hold a Kentucky Derby Soiree as a scholarship fundraiser, I was all......

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January 29, 2014

I am not entirely convinced of the commercial aspect of Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, I love love. And I love sharing the love. Which is why I have been a part of Baskets of Love for years now. The idea is simple: make baskets to show the women and children at the Women’s Residential Counseling Center (WRCC) that they are loved. By providing items that they need at a time that they need it most, this program helps do just that. I encourage you to read about what Space to......

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December 28, 2013

Friday into Saturday morning, I could not sleep. One of my line sisters posted this and after I read it, I knew I had to share it here. The frog princess underwent a tonsillectomy last month and my 2 Goddaughters just went through it this past week. To say I cannot imagine is an understatement. I simply ask that if you are the praying kind, you pray for this mother and her child. The court ruled that Jahi could be taken off life support. This will happen on Monday. According to......

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December 18, 2013

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. The day my son was born was one of the proudest, most amazing days of our lives. As I watched my husband studying his namesake I thought of what the future holds for us all. Although my husband is not of Latin descent, we are both so excited to show our son where he comes from, and the wonderful things his immigrant great grandma taught the family to preserve our Dominican roots. We are taking steps to teach him Spanish and instill a......